The Year's Best

Of the books you read in 2011, which ones make your personal “best books read in 2011” list?

Many lists of the best books of 2011 are being published now. I’m scanning them avidly and adding to my future-reading list. Once again, I read 52 books this year. So much for last year’s resolution to knit more and read a little bit less. Of the 52 that I read, 10 were non-fiction and 42 were fiction.

My 2011 favorites came primarily from non-fiction: Let’s Take the Long Way Home (memoir by Gail Caldwell), Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit (on the Catholic Church by Garry Wills), and The Warmth of Other Suns (Black migration during Jim Crow by Isabel Wilkerson). My favorite fiction was the quirky Bangkok 8 by John Burdett.

Unfortunately, a whole bunch of the rest of the fiction comes under the heading of “hate to admit I spent time reading that.” They were guilty pleasures like the Sookie Stackhouse books, Janet Evanovich books, and a number of cheesy romance novels. I should probably resolve to raise the level of my literary intake, but my success rate with resolutions is abysmal.

Technology after 7 PM

So, I was trying to post and I accidentally signed on as another blog member and can't seem to delete one of me. After a certain time of day, I really need to stay away from computers.

But, what I wanted to say was that I, too, miss a nice book store. I drove Julie back to St. Paul this morning and remembered there was a nice book store on Grand Avenue but it was empty. I stopped in Woodbury where I thought there was a Barnes & Noble but it was a Borders so it was empty. And tonight I was wandering around BAM looking for some funny books for Sam for Christmas. The humor section was filled with books about bodily functions, red-necks, and zombies. I did find David Sedaris hidden below the Bull***t book.

I'm in the early weeks of Forensics (speech competitions, not crime) so I'm reading lots of short story collections. McSweeny's is very cool and Etgar Keret is quite a find. But not appropriate for high school kids. If anyone has an idea for an 8 to 12 minute funny (and PG rated) piece of prose, let me know. I did start listening to the Henrietta Lacks book while I was decorating the tree. Not the best choice to get into the spirit of the season, but interesting.

Devil Amongst the Lawyers

This is one of the books that I bought when I visited BAM!. It is by an author whose books I've read, but not for some time. Those earlier books involved a regular cast of characters who I grew to like.  Those books were:

• She Walks These Hills
• If I Ever Return Pretty Peggy-O
• The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
• Ghost Riders

All of the stories of hers that I’ve read take place in Appalachia. This book deals with a crime that actually occurred in the late 1930s. The main theme of the book is the subjective nature of the media and how they can influence an event by how they write about it. While I think she has a good point, most of the characters in this book did not engage me like the other books I have read. She does present background on Nora Bonesteel – a regular character in the books, which I enjoyed . In this book, Nora is 10 years old or so and just starting to come to terms with having the “Sight.”

Devil Amonst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb (2011, 336 pgs)

Tithe

I’m not sure how I found this book; it might have been in a search for feminist books for young readers. The main character, Kaye, is a gutsy, strong-minded, 16-year old. That probably qualified it. Tithe is a story about Faeries; Kaye comes to the realization that she is a pixie early in the story. She finds herself caught between the Seelie (good) and Unseelie (evil) Faerie courts. On the one hand she finds aspects of Unseelie seductive, on the other hand 16 years of human upbringing tell her it’s wrong. 

Holly Black gives fairly vivid descriptions of the Seelie and Unseelie courts, but they made me yearn for the more lush descriptions of Anne Rice. (Maybe it’s time for another of her books . . .)

This is young adult urban fantasy and I found it mildly engaging. As I reflected on the book, however, I realized that it is heavy with adoption themes: late discovery of her status, for one. As part of that discovery, she finds out that she is a changeling – a pixie left in place of a baby that the faeries stole. This explains why she doesn’t really relate to her human mother. She also doesn’t feel like she fits in well with her human friends. As the story ends, she decides to accept and keep both aspects of herself – faerie and human.

Tithe by Holly Black (2004, 336 pages)

Books A Million blues

I finally went to Books A Million on Saturday night. I suppose I’m still missing Borders, because I was disappointed. I was confused as to how they determined which titles they carry and which they don’t. Today I searched reviews of BAM. I believe one consumer nailed the description as “the Big Lots of book stores.” That explains why there were 3 shelves of James Patterson, 2 titles from Ann Rule, and 0 titles from Charlaine Harris. I know those are all different genres, but they are also all prolific authors.

Another site I found is called Glassdoor – past employees review their former employers as to Pros, Cons, and give advice to senior management. Looks like BAM gets a low rating from its former employees mostly because they are pressured to sell, sell, sell the discount cards. On Saturday night, I went to the restroom while Michael paid for my purchases. When I caught up to him, he told me he had signed me up for the $20 discount card. My right eye started twitching before he confessed, “I’m kidding!”

So, I’m back to yearning for a “good” book store. One in which I can roam around, pick up books with interesting covers, and read their back cover before deciding to buy. I browse online, but I don’t really like it. It’s too easy to get lost. One minute I’m searching for the book club selection and the next I find myself reading about hexicdecimal color values and wondering how the heck I got there. Certainly searching by genre produces too many results. BTW another online site (Pissed Consumer), which provided reviews of the BAM online store, indicated low marks for their online customer service. Heaven help me if Amazon ever goes down the tubes!

So, perhaps this is the impetus I need to return to the library on a regular basis to wander the stacks. (They still have stacks, right?) Beyond NPR, I am looking to you, my friends, for book recommendations! What are you reading this week?

The sexualization of childhood

This is the topic of So Sexy, So Soon by Diane E. Levin and Jean Kilbourne. I heard Ms. Kilbourne on NPR some months back talking about her documentary, Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising’s Image of Women. During the interview, she mentioned this book.

The book discusses the barrage of sexual messages and gender stereotypes aimed at children and how it affects their self concept and their ability to have caring intimate relationships as adults.

The authors advocate accurate, no nonsense sex education in schools as one way of combating these messages:

“So although most of the messages about sex in the media are inaccurate, misleading, and distorted, young people generally accept them as fact, given the absence of accurate sex education in their lives.”

They maintain that we (and children) are desensitized by the sheer number of messages and therefore may think that what we’re seeing isn’t that harmful or influential. Quoting a researcher from UNC:

“If you believe Sesame Street taught your four-year old something, then you better believe MTV is teaching your fourteen-year old something, because the influence doesn’t stop when we come to a certain age.”

Another thing they advocate is reducing or eliminating advertising aimed at children:

“Of course, all these sexual images aren’t intended to sell our children or us on sex – they are intended to sell us on shopping. The desire they want to inculcate is not for orgasm but for more gizmos. This is the intent of the marketers – but an unintended consequence is the effect these images have on real sexual desire and real lives.”

The book is full of recommendations and resources for parents, teachers, and activists.

So Sexy So Soon: the New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids by Diane E. Levin and Jean Kilbourne, 2008, paperback, 226 pages.

Where do you read?

I find I always have a book with me in case my lunch date is late or in case I have to wait a while in a doctor’s office, etc. And, while I love to curl up at home for a luxurious hour of reading, I also like to take my book or Kindle and head off to a favorite spot to read. My favorite places include Racy's, Acoustic Cafe, and Starbucks.

Besides your house or yard, what public spot do you like to read in?

Faithful Place

Just finished reading Faithful Place by Tana French. This book was an Edgar Award finalist. It’s not a gory mystery nor is it an edge-of-your-seat mystery. However, I loved the detection and the character development. The most interesting characters are the detective’s family members. The dysfunctional way in which they relate is key to the mystery and its solution.

I see in my Friends of the Library newsletter that the Mystery Readers book club is reading another Tana French book: In the Woods.

Faithful Place: A Novel by Tana French (2011, paperback, 416 pages)

Dinner with the Book Fest Authors

We attended the Dinner with the Authors event at the Eau Claire Country Club last night. The featured author was Tom Gjelten, who wrote Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba. As a complement to this author and book, ECC served $2 Bacardi drinks (Mai Tais, Cuba Libres, Mojitos, etc.), which were delicioso!

The tables were set such that one Book Fest author was at each. Debbie, we sat with Patrick Rothfuss. With him he had his girlfriend and their 2-year old son, Emmet. Since I don’t read fantasy, I couldn’t participate much in the conversation. However, the woman from the University Book Store was at our table and a real fan of fantasy. She asked great questions and kept the conversation going. He said his favorite fantasy book is The Last Unicorn, written in the 1960s. He thinks it still holds up today.

The Cuban-themed dinner was very tasty! Served in four courses, it included a small paella appetizer, bread & arugula salad, pork with veges and black beans and rice, and flan with a light rum sauce served on a cinnamon cookie.

Tom Gjelten spoke for about 50 minutes and then took questions for another 15. His presentation was a recap of the book and the questions were answered in the book. So, having read the book prior to this event, I didn’t really hear anything new.

Overall, however, we really enjoyed the event and look forward to next year’s CV Book Fest.

A Difficult Read in More Ways than One

I just (finally) finished reading a memoir by a late discovery adoptee. Late discovery means she didn’t learn that she was adopted until she was an adult – in this case in her 30s. Her life is a series of tragedies: while her first marriage is falling apart, her soon-to-be-ex reveals the fact of her adoption. Then her adoptive mother dies. She re-marries and that marriage fails. Her birth mother dies. She is diagnosed with breast cancer. She is in a third love relationship and that partner commits suicide. What helps her to hang on during all this is a combination of therapy and spiritual practices.

I am loath to criticize this book; however, I was hoping for more of the adoption story and specifically about the late discovery aspect of it. Reading felt more like therapy in a book than memoir. But, my biggest complaint was the editing. Actually, I’m not sure the book was edited. At one point she writes of being a vociferous reader. (Yeah, the image that conjures is kind of funny.) And no distinction is made between its and it’s, more often than not the latter was used.

I kept hearing your voices in my head saying “just quit reading it.” That’s hard for me to do with any book, but I feel an obligation to other adoptees to listen to their stories. So, stop for a moment and listen: Adoption can be difficult for all members of the triad. For the person who finds out as an adult that they are adopted, when life is whirling around them at 90 mph, it’s overwhelmingly and cruelly difficult.

Surviving Secrets by Margaret Watson, 2010, A&A Book Publishing.

Book Fest Author

I went to Patti See's presentation last night at the public library. She didn't give as much "how to" as I expected. She read a selection of recent work, about her mother in assisted-living. It seemed to resonate with the audience, most around my age. The audience questions were about how to disengage from emotional topics and how to tell the truth without being insulting. Interesting.
Her writing is very observational and I enjoyed it but unless I read her work myself, it's hard to know how much of the flavor was in her presentation and how much in the writing.
For something completely different, I'm going to see Patrick Rothfuss on Thursday, who writes fantasy fiction. (Is there fantasy nonfiction?)

Chippewa Valley Book Festival starts Tuesday

The Chippewa Valley Book Festival starts Tuesday (10/18). For a list of authors and events, visit their website. There are at least three dinners with authors opportunities. I’ll be attending the Cuban dinner with featured author Tom Gjelten (Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba). Can’t wait!

Early comments on The Beekeeper’s Apprentice

I am enjoying this book quite a bit. I like the way the story is framed so that you can set aside comparisons with other Sherlock Holmes stories. I also like the writing and the first few short cases that build their relationship. The very first one – the robbery at Monk’s Ton – made me remember a remark that Judy (I think) made when we were discussing Sherlock Holmes and similar mysteries.

Judy said she thought it ridiculous that, with just one look through a magnifying glass, someone would know the makeup of the soil and the vendor of the shoe that deposited it there. Judy’s remark made me laugh then and I laughed again as I read this first little case where they did exactly that. I wonder if those type of scenes are intentionally humorous? Is the author making fun of how unobservant we usually are?

Cleaning Nabokov's House

I just finished reading Cleaning Nabokov's House by Leslie Daniels and recommend the journey. A woman leaves her marriage, buys a former home of Vladimir Nabokov, finds a lost novel of his--maybe, and tries her hand at romance writing among other things. There are so many quotes in here that resonated with me, but I especially liked this one for our book club group.

"Back at home I gave myself a pass on being a productive human being. Sometimes you can be a productive human being and sometimes you just have to read fiction, even romantic fiction."

Time out for a romance

This weekend I finished reading The Dressmaker. It’s a big book, big story about a girl fending for herself and doing quite nicely as a dressmaker. Oops – not exactly fending for herself because it is set in Victorian England. So, of course, there’s a rich, handsome gentleman involved. It’s a romance, but not of the bodice-ripping kind. I really enjoyed getting lost in the fantasy of it quite a lot. If you are interested in reading it, please let me loan/give it to you otherwise it is headed for the used book store.
The Dressmaker: A Novel by Posie Graeme-Evans (Paperback,2010, 464 pgs)

Jessica Lost: A Story of Birth, Adoption & The Meaning of Motherhood

In mostly alternating chapters the mother and daughter co-authors tell their story of loss, search and reunion. As an adoptee, I identified most deeply with Jil’s (the daughter/adoptee) story.

Born in 1956, so many of Jil’s cultural references are the same as mine. Additionally, she attended UW-Madison and many of the places she mentions are familiar. For me she got the emotions just right. Growing up she felt that she didn’t quite fit, she felt a little bit like a fraud. She was anxious about searching, not wanting to upset her adoptive parents, whom she loved. She worried what her birth mother would think. She was ambivalent, obsessed, joyful, and sad. In the end, she feels satisfyingly whole.

Bunny’s story (the birth mother) is equally compelling in its portrayal of the loss that she endured when she surrendered her daughter and the joy she felt at reuniting with her daughter. The friend that loaned me this book is a birth mother and said she felt that Bunny’s story was also spot on.

No matter how many reunions I hear about or read about it still feels like stepping onto a rollercoaster. You know what the ride is about, but you’re never quite prepared for the exhilaration. This story is no different. I highly recommend it!

Jessica Lost: A Story of Birth, Adoption & The Meaning of Motherhood by Bunny Crumpacker and Jil Picariello (2011, 224 pages).

Kathy K on A Gate at the Stairs

I felt there was a lot of relevant commentary in A Gate At the Stairs but too dense to read all at once and buried under a lot of distracting sideways musings that made it hard to pull out the good stuff of the story. Nevertheless, I did decide to finish it this week and finished it this morning.

I kind of had a like it/hate it reaction to this book and in the end I decided I needed to finish it to see where the main character ended up. I actually thought the very last part of the book was better than all the rest of it as Tassie reacts to her brother’s death. I particularly found intriguing her climbing into her brother’s coffin as horrific as it was, it made a real statement about how much we can love someone no matter what state they are in. I found the father’s comments at the funeral particularly poignant and dead on:

“What can a man say about losing his boy?” my father cried out, finally. He had raised his voice as if he were calling. “His only son? Well! I miss him more than any words can remotely convey. He was not just a good son, a good person. He was the very best kind.” That was all he said before his face clenched and purpled and he had to turn and come back down. – Lorrie Moore, A Gate at the Stairs.

I also found this idea to be very relevant to our book club reading and one that might help us go beyond the obvious in our discussion in future book club readings:

“I had also learned in literature—perhaps as in life—one had to speak not of what the author intended but of what a story intended for herself. The creator was inconvenient—God was dead. But the creation itself had a personality and hopes and its own desires and plans and little winks and dance steps and collaged intent. In this way Jacques Derrida overlapped with Walt Disney. The story itself had feet and a mouth, could walk and talk and speak of its own yearnings.”— Lorrie Moore, A Gate at the Stairs

Banned Books Week

September 24−October 1, 2011 is Banned Books Week. Go ahead, be naughty, read a challenged book. For more information on BB Week and a list of the most challenged books, go to the American Library Association’s website: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

From Merriam Webster's Word of the Day

bildungsroman \BIL-doonks-roh-mahn\ -noun
a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character